1. BUILDING A LEGACY -- T OM C OLLINS

2. DEFINITION: “Anything handed down to you from those who preceded you.” QUESTION TO CONSIDER: What do you want your legacy to be? PROPOSITION: I want to share some of the things included in the LEGACY of the CHURCH OF THE THESSALONIANS that benefit you and me.

3. 1. IN GOD THE FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 1 Thessalonians 1:1: “Paul, Silas and timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians IN God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” TWO ADDRESSES: 1. Thessalonica. 2. “IN God and Christ.” To be “IN CHRIST” means: I AM ACCEPTED. I AM SECURE. I AM SIGNIFICANT.

4. 2. THE THREE GREATEST THINGS IN THE WORLD. V. 3: “We continually remember before our “God and Father your work produced by FAITH, your labor prompted by LOVE, and your endurance inspired by HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

5. 1) FAITH. 3:2: “We sent Timothy…to strengthen and encourage you in your FAITH.” V. 5: “When I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your FAITH.” V. 6 : “But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your FAITH and love.” V. 7 : “Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your FAITH.” V. 10: “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your FAITH.”

6. The GOAL of teaching and studying the Word of God is to build up people’s FAITH. What would it take to AMAZE Jesus? One thing: People’s FAITH. Luke 7:9: “Jesus was AMAZED at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such GREAT FAITH even in Israel’”. Mark 6:5-6: “He could not do any miracles there (His hometown), except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was AMAZED at their LACK OF FAITH.” Matthew 9:29 : Jesus said: “According to your FAITH be it done unto you.”

7. 2) LOVE V. 3b : “Your labor prompted by LOVE.” Today is MOTHER’S DAY. Write your mother a LOVE LETTER! 3) HOPE v. 3c: “Endurance inspired by HOPE in our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Not in the LOTTERY. Addiction causes SLAVERY. -Not in a BETTER ECONOMY. -Not in THE GOVERNMENT. Only in JESUS!